Part 66 (1/2)

The three men peered over.

The lake's surface churned. For a moment none of them could make out what was happening. Axis looked briefly at the Lealfast to see if they'd reacted, but they were continuing their encircling march.

He looked below again, then reflexively reeled back from the railing as one of the Dark Spire's roots reared high into the sky, paused, then slammed into the wall of Elcho Falling about a quarter of the way up, burying its tip into the heart of one of the bloodied web of cracks.

As it pulled back, so a large piece of masonry materialised out of the water wall and fell into the water.

”There's another!” Inardle cried, pointing, and then suddenly, appallingly, hundreds of the roots were rearing out of the water, seeking cracks within the walls of Elcho Falling, burying themselves inside and tearing out large chunks of masonry.

”This is going to tear apart in an hour!” Inardle said, and Axis whipped about to Isaiah. ”f.u.c.k waiting for the eagle,” he said. ”We've got to go as soon as we can!”

”Are your men ready?” Isaiah said.

”They'll be ready within a heartbeat,” Axis said. ”All they have to do is to pick up their weapons. They're already a.s.sembled.”

Isaiah looked at Maximilian, who gave a nod. ”Go,” he said. ”Elcho Falling is not going to withstand this onslaught.”

Axis and Isaiah turned as one, striding toward the door leading to the command chamber.

But in the instant before they reached it, Inardle cried out again, more urgently this time.

”No! No! Wait!”

They halted, turning to stare at her.

Inardle was back at the balcony railing, but this time she was staring wildly out at the countryside beyond the Lealfast circles.

”The Skraelings are here,” she said. ”I can't see them but I can feel them. I --”

”Look!” Maximilian said, pointing toward the hill on which Eleanon stood.

Eleanon, who had to this point kept perfect time with his hands, now faltered, looking about as if confused.

Then, in the next heartbeat, millions upon millions of Skraelings materialised out of nowhere, filling the landscape as far as the eye could see.

Chapter 18.

Elcho Falling.

One moment Eleanon was standing clapping rhythmically, grinning as he watched the roots of the Dark Spire begin to tear apart Elcho Falling, the next moment he was being jostled by scores of Skraelings, packed tightly together. It took Eleanon several heartbeats to overcome the sense of disorientation and shock, then another several to free his wings from the packed bodies and manage to lift into the air.

What was happening? What were all these . . . millions . . . of Skraelings doing here?

Eleanon could not believe it. Where had they come from? How had they materialised right within the midst of the Lealfast circles without anyone realising?

And what were they doing? Why did they look so different? Were they here as friend, or as foe?

Eleanon's mind buzzed with unanswerable questions and a growing sense of perplexity mixed with anger. He rose a further ten paces into the air.

He could see that the majority of Lealfast had managed to get airborne, although Eleanon wouldn't have been surprised if a few had managed to get themselves crushed underneath the sheer weight and volume of Skraeling feet. Stars, they were everywhere! Everywhere! Encircling the entire lake, packed tightly together, all facing toward the lake, forty, fifty, sixty deep.

Eleanon hovered, trying to recover his wits, trying not to allow his temper to scream forth and precipitate him into some unhappy action.

”What is happening?”

It was Falayal, hovering nearby.

”How the f.u.c.k am I supposed to know?” Eleanon said, then realised it was the wrong thing to say as he watched Falayal's face close over.

”I am about to find out,” he amended, then flew away, searching among the Skraelings for some kind of leader.

”G.o.ds,” Maximilian muttered, hands on balcony railing, staring out at the scene.

”Maxel?” It was Ishbel, hurrying onto the balcony.

”Skraelings . . . ” Maximilian said, extending a hand. ”Everywhere.”

”What are they going to do?” Ishbel said.

”Change back to River Angels,” Isaiah said, ”but whether or not that will help us, I do not know.”

”They say they will not harm us,” Inardle said, and everyone turned about to face her.

”You are speaking with them?” Maximilian asked.

”With Ozll, who speaks for all the Skraelings,” Inardle said. She had a distracted look on her face, as if she found it difficult carrying on two conversations at once.

Axis opened his mouth to say something, but Maximilian waved him to silence. Wait, he mouthed.

”Ozll says they will not become who they once were,” Inardle said. ”He means, that while they will change back to River Angels, they will not be the River Angels of old. They will defend themselves, but they will never seek to harm or to murder without provocation. Ozll says they have sworn themselves to peace.”

Inardle blinked, as if Ozll had stopped speaking and she now found the time to concentrate entirely on the conversation with those standing about her. ”They will do nothing to aid us, I am afraid. They just want to change, to slip into the water and let death do to them what it wants, but after that . . . nothing. They will simply exist within the water. Whether Elcho Falling remains or falls, it is of no matter to them.”

”Do they not know what Elcho Falling will become under Eleanon's guiding hand?” Ishbel cried. ”Do they not understand that --”

”They understand,” Inardle said. ”They just do not care. It is not their fight. It is not their matter. But they wish us well and they wish us happiness.”

Axis turned away, muttering a curse. ”We should never have trusted them, or thought them allies. I am not surprised that they should now seek to murder us through their inaction. Stars! They could slaughter the Lealfast within moments . . . could have done if they had acted immediately when they materialised. Why couldn't they have --”

”Axis,” Maximilian murmured.

Inardle gave a little tilt of her shoulders. ”I am sorry, Axis. If it wasn't for me . . . if I hadn't murdered . . . They were so distraught by what I had done in my River Angel form they swore a vow of peacefulness. They will not attack for any reason, save if they are attacked themselves. They will self-defend, but never do harm for others, however glorious the cause.”

”They swore that vow just to see us dead,” Axis hissed.

”You! Youf Eleanon drifted lower to the ground, toward a Skraeling who seemed to have a slight aura of command.